CrossFit East Bay WOD @ GWPC 100824
5/3/1
CrossFit Total
Queen Raindrop is now L1 Certified.
5/3/1 and CrossFit by Max Lewin, Owner, CrossFit East Bay
As you know by now: "CrossFit is a core strength and conditioning program designed to elicit as broad an adaptational response as possible. It is not a specialized fitness program but a deliberate attempt to optimize physical competence in each of ten recognized fitness domains: Cardiovascular & Respiratory Endurance, Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Balance and Accuracy." These domains fall along a continuum pairing ease of acquisition with persistence from quick to develop/easy to lose to slow to develop/hard to lose.
Of these domains Cardiovascular & Respiratory Endurance is the quickest to develop and easiest to lose. A novice or beginner who stops training will lose ALL of their gains and return to baseline in about two-three months (depending on what study you are looking at). An advanced athlete who stops training will lose roughly half of their capacity in three months.
On the other end of the spectrum is Strength. This takes a long time (years) to develop and is amazingly persistent. Studies vary, but it is fairly clear that even intermediates don't show any loss of strength for up to six weeks!
So what are the implications for developing broad adaptational responses? It is pretty clear by now that for CrossFit competitors or anyone who wants to get really good at the WODs, strength must be JOB ONE. A secondary implication is that conditioning can be ramped up as competitions near and strength training can be made secondary, even tertiary, without any loss of strength. Let's take everyone's favorite WOD, "Fran" as an example. Even if you have great cardio-respiratory ability (let's say you can run a 5:30 mile) if your 1RM Front squat is 115/75 and your max push-press is 95/65 you are not even going to be able to do this Rx. For me to get this person to a 3 minute Fran is going to take a long, long time. Maybe years. It will require lots of direct strength training and multiple linear progressions. On the other hand give me a guy in reasonable shape (let's say a 8:00 mile time) with a 300# Front Squat and 225# Push-press (assuming he is not too fat to do good pull-ups) and let me train him for six weeks with intervals and metcons (and zero additional strength training), and I will show you a 3 minute Fran.
One outstanding program for building strength, which can be stacked, combined or leveraged with CrossFit, is Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 Program.
The program is really quite brilliant: it is, technically, undulating periodization, in both the micro and meso-cycles. You will start by working in the rep range typically thought to elicit muscle endurance (this should be highly familiar to CrossFitters). You will then move through Hypertrophy One (sarcoplasmic hypertrophy) and Hypertrophy 2 (myofibrillar hypertrophy), speed-strength (power) and limit strength as you approach your real 1RM. You will inevitably fail, deload, retest and start over, yielding an undulating wave that could be good for some 9-18 months of gains, which is, to use the technical term, a shit-ton of time. If you could put even 5 pounds per month on a lift for 18 months... well, you figure it out.
As above for those interested in CF competition, strength training can, and should, take a back seat to conditioning in the months coming up to a competition. However, as above, one can simply pick up the cycle where one left off when the competition season is over, as there will likely be no loss of strength, and in fact, it is quite possible that strength will continue to increase (with good programming) in conjunction with metcon ability.
Here is a graphical and vastly oversimplified (it does not show weight going up or micro-cycles) representation of what is going on:
After being stuck at the same strength level for about 18 months despite several attempts to budge it (SS 5x5, MEBB) I have gotten some amazing results in only two months of using his program:
Deadlift has gone from 390 to 405 (lifetime PR)
Squat has gone from 270 to 295 (6 pounds away from lifetime PR)
Press has gone from 165 to 175 (lifetime PR)
Bench Press has gone from 235 to 250 (38 pounds away from lifetime PR)
Power Clean has gone from 180 to 205 (lifetime PR) without training it even once
Power Snatch has gone from 135 to 145 (lifetime PR) without training it even once
ALL of the above numbers have been done within 15 minutes of the last set of the 5/3/1 workout, therefore my real 1RMs, rested, would logically be higher.
In addition I have carefully stacked CrossFit on top of this as conditioning/assistance and have hit PRs in two benchmarks, "Grace" and "Diane" due purely to increased strength, as conditioning has been only secondary. 225# deadlifts now feel like a joke.
It is my plan to use this program to get to 500/400/300/200 DL/SQ/BP/PR in order to become competitive in the CF Masters category when I am old enough (or further age classes are developed). In my best estimation, the above strength level is enough to be a strong competitor in any age class. Equivalent numbers for women would be 315/250/185/115.
So now that you are convinced you need to get strong, how do we do this? I strongly suggest you buy the book 5/3/1 by Jim Wendler.
Also you can get it as an ebook.
Once you have read the book, take your 1RMs and plug them into the following spreadsheet:
5/3/1 Spreadsheet. I also have a modified version that can track multiple waves. Email Me for this.
Use the spreadsheet to calculate lifts based on your ACTUAL (not imaginary) 1RMs - what you could do TODAY - this can be calculated based on multiple reps using the following formula:
W(R)(.0333)+W = Predictive 1RM, or "P". Reps of 5 or less will be most accurate.
The spreadsheet will calculate percentages based on 90% of your 1RM, therefore the sets will be, and should be, quite light. The point of this program is to start too light and extend it out as long as possible.
On the last set of each of the first three "weeks" of the spreadsheet do the number of reps OR MORE (this can be, but does not have to be, to failure). In addition you will do assistance exercises, as spelled out in Wendler's excellent book. At the very least you should do 5x10 sets of the exercise at a challenging weight, or put together a metcon that is complementary: example: squat + "Last Ascent" or Press + "Diane" with a doable DL weight.
Use the Predictor, above, to gauge progress. Always try to beat your last predictor (this will not always be possible for fairly technical reasons).
On the deload week, DELOAD! This includes assistance and CrossFit, etc. You do NOT do more than the listed reps in the deload week.
On the next wave add 5 pounds to the upper body lifts and 10 pounds to the lower body lifts. Women might want to use 2.5/5 jumps. DO NOT RETEST YOUR MAX!
When you fail to get the required number of reps in a lift, take a deload week, test your max and start over.
The program is finished when you cannot finish one wave.
CF can be used as assistance and conditioning, however one should not do a metcon that is going to destroy the ability to do the movement in question the day before the lift (or two to three days before for the advanced lifter).
WOD 100824
SPECIAL 2-HOUR Class:
5:00 - warm-up and mini-metcon, TBA
-CrossFit Total: CFEB-Style
5:30 - work up to a 1RM in the Deadlift in 30 minutes.
6:00 - work up to a 1RM in the Press in 30 minutes.
6:30 - work up to a 1RM in the Squat in 30 minutes.
Add your best lift in each of the above three categories and post your "CrossFit Total" to comments.
Bonus for the motivated: after class work up to a 1RM in the bench press.
Post best lift to comments.
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This is a ton of information to absorb, hence the early posting.
Should we skip the snatch grip deadlift today if we plan on trying for our 1RM DL tomorrow?
Jessica: probably not. Snatch Grip deadlift is going to be limited greatly by grip: however you are thinking it out, which is good. Use your best judgment.
It is my intention to take an extended hiatus from CrossFit conditioning for a dedicated strength cycle once the weather turns (probably around Halloween - the holidays are a good time to get chubby again). This looks like a good program to try. Thanks, Max.
Funny you should say that Daniel. I was planning to take CFEB on a 5/3/1 strength cycle starting on Halloween if I can figure out how to fit it in.
that's what she said
Thank you Max, this is a real interesting eye-opener, especially this:
"Let's take everyone's favorite WOD, "Fran" as an example. Even if you have great cardio-respiratory ability (let's say you can run a 5:30 mile) if your 1RM Front squat is 115/75 and your max push-press is 95/65 you are not even going to be able to do this Rx. For me to get this person to a 3 minute Fran is going to take a long, long time. Maybe years. It will require lots of direct strength training and multiple linear progressions. On the other hand give me a guy in reasonable shape (let's say a 8:00 mile time) with a 300# Front Squat and 225# Push-press (assuming he is not too fat to do good pull-ups) and let me train him for six weeks with intervals and metcons (and zero additional strength training), and I will show you a 3 minute Fran."
I bought Rippetoe's Starting Strength and stumbled on the 5/3/1 ebook after reading some of Max's older articles. Haven't gotten around to finish reading them yet.
So if strength takes so long to build, and you siggest using CF-style metcons as assistance work... How would training gymnastics movements like pull ups and muscle ups fall into this? Do they count as assistance work?
Would strength or technique be more important for these movements?
Also, can 5/3/1 be implemented for gains in snatches and cleans or should the individual stick strictly to the powerlifting movements as scheduled by 5/3/1?
Q:So if strength takes so long to build, and you suggest using CF-style metcons as assistance work... How would training gymnastics movements like pull ups and muscle ups fall into this? Do they count as assistance work?
A: Yes. This is specifically spelled out in the book. Buy it. For example, bench press plus 5x10 weighted bar dips and 5x10 weighted strict pull-ups. Or Squat + Fran.
Q: Would strength or technique be more important for these movements?
A: Yes.
Q: Also, can 5/3/1 be implemented for gains in snatches and cleans or should the individual stick strictly to the power-lifting movements as
scheduled by 5/3/1?
A: No. The neurological demands of OLY lifting contraindicate high rep work to improve your 1RM in general.
Wow. That's really interesting. I'm about 80% through Starting Strength and was about to try a modified version of the program starting around September (I just can't even fathom eating 5,000 to 7,000 calories per day, so I was just going to super-protein and see how that did).
I'm open to trying 5/3/1 if that's what everybody else is doing - I just wanted to maximize strength while there's more gains to be had.
Maybe I'll take an extended "lunch" tomorrow and be there for this - but since I use a snatch grip for my deadlifts anyway I don't see the point in doing them two days in a row. I haven't found that the "standard" grip does anything for me. My squat will be super-weak...there's a LOT that can improve there.
Jay - I very much doubt you use a snatch grip deadlift. Totally different animal.
Max, I can't decide whether to do a back squat cycle or use front squat instead. If lower body strength is the number 1 priority should I stick with back squat?
Q: I can't decide whether to do a back squat cycle or use front squat instead. If lower body strength is the number 1 priority should I stick with back squat?
A: Yes, back squat if strength is number one priority.
Squat
172x5
200x5
226x5+(7)=12
P=317#
Jedi Assistance/Conditioning
150# tire Drag, 200 meters
"Last Ascent"
5-10-15
Back Squat 225
Box Jump
9:58 Rx - PR
Sith Hypertrophy
10-10-10-10-10-10 Leg Press
500-500-500-500-500
Cool, thanks for clarifying Max!
This is gonna be a good one. I've had the 5/3/1 book on my amazon wishlist for a couple of weeks now, after hearing Max mention it. This pushed me to actually get it.
http://mobilitywod.blogspot.com/
10 minutes in a squat? Holy shit, seems like I would end up really flexible or a gimp.
Bench Press
135x5
155x5
172x8
Close Grip Bench
3x10@105
Dips
3x8
25 pull ups, 50 push ups, 75 squats in 6:13.
1RM's:
DL: 325# (15# less than PR)
Press: 130# PR (previous was 127#)
Back Squat: 200# PR by virtue of no previous efforts.
mini metcon 3:03
DL: 410# (10#PR)
Press: 165# (10# less than last week, shoulders felt tight)
Back Squat: DNS
decided to do muscle ups and dislocated right shoulder :(
A: 20 minute row in (very) hot sun 4500 meters - followed by not-so-amusing mild heatstroke.
B: Mini-metcon
25 pull-up
50 push-up
75 squat
4:00
C: CFT
DL - 400
PR - 170
SQ - 286
T = 856 (PR by 1 pound)
mini metcon 5:46
DL: 265#
Press: 95# (5#PR)
Back Squat 205# (20#PR)
CF total:565
Press - 165#
squat - 255#
deadlift - 320#
740 = total... Not bad for a strong female competitor. Anybody hear of any good strength cycles lately? No more 8 mile runs for me until I can squat 1.5x bw and deadlift 2x bw.
couldnt make it to 5pm class. know my 1RM reasonably well so i started doing 5/3/1 today.
A: run 1 mile - 5:42mins (treadmill set to 10.5)
B: bench press
137x5
160x5
180x13
plus 5x15 incline dumbbell
plus 3x12 bar dips
C: helen on a boat - 11:20 (grip strength limiting factor)
DL: 265 (5 pound PR)
Press:95 (10 pound PR)
Backsquat: 175 (80 pound PR)
Bench: 105
Then worked on ring dips and such.
Total: 535. I know I sound like a broken record but the heat threw me off, not use to working out in the heat after this very cold summer.
Oh, minicindy: 5:36.
I'll be at GWPC tomorrow around 12 benching if anyone else is around.
DL: 430 (14# pr, woohoo!)
Press: 160
Squat: 265 (40# LESS than pr, ouch)
CF Total: 855 (1# pr and 1# less than Max)
There was a fleeting moment when I thought I would hit 900 for the total, and then my squats didn't cooperate. I told Max I'd come up with a good excuse...I'm pretty sure the heat aggravated my painful toe, which was exacerbated by the paper cut I received on the back of my elbow yesterday, which was compounded by my severe hangover and trying to survive on nothing but donuts.
Hey Max, thanks for having me at CFEB. I rarely do the CrossFit total WOD and this is a great way to get your 1RM.
DL: 265#
Press: 125# (PR)
Squat: 205#
I was so close to getting that muscle up too!
DL - 185 (20# less than PR)
PR - 70 (matched PR)
SQ - 115 (20# less than PR)
CF Total = 370
CF Total = 775
Not a bad day, altogether. But I have plenty of room for improvement.
DL: 375# - I think I could have done more if I had time for more than 1 max attempt.
PRESS: 185# - been stuck there for a few weeks now.
SQ: 215# - Barely ahead of Amanda. Must increase that a lot.
BENCH: 265# - that felt pretty easy so I tried for 287#, and that wasn't so easy. Maybe the other exercises weakened me, or maybe I'm just weak. Oh well...
Upper backs hurts a bit (muscle, not spine) after dumping 245 yesterday, and my wrist is killing me. Hopefully that's just a strain... it came on slowly as the night wore on.
Bought the 5/3/1 book today hopefully it comes soon.
Really appreciate working out with everybody yesterday, and meeting a bunch more crossfitters.
DL: 195
Press: 90 (PR!)
SQ: 145
Total: 430
I was shooting for 450 today because I have been having some success with 5/3/1 and it seemed like a reasonable score based on my current predictors (all of which currently predict 1RMs that I am highly skeptical of). Apparently I am still recovering from being ill.
3 rounds of Cindy
DL: 230#
Press: 70#
Back squat: 133# (23# PR)
CF total: 433
Crossfit total in Chennai India
Press: 94 (PR by 1 pound).
Backsquat: 160 (Probably a PR. I don't remember)
Deadlift: 215
Total: 465